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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Quantum Computing for Energy-Related Applications

Growing interest in quantum computing and simulations have created opportunities for its deployment to improve processes pertaining to energy production, distribution, and consumption. While quantum computing is considered as a paradigm shift in our basic understanding of physical computation, effective implementation of quantum computing in energy applications also depends on progress and development in the dimensions of both quantum computing hardware and quantum computing algorithms. To fully address the status and future challenges of quantum information science (QIS) applied within the energy sector, in this presentation, we firstly summarize recent advancements on the applications of quantum computing to energy infrastructure and materials, complex energy system processes, advanced manufacturing, and energy system security. Then, we will demonstrate the results of quantum computing both on a simulator and a quantum device accessing from OLCF. Our first example is to use the variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) with a unitary coupled cluster with singles and doubles (UCCSD) ansatz to simulate a series of LixHyq molecules (q=-1, 0, +1). The obtained results showed that the quantum computing VQE-UCCSD is comparable to classical CCSD for small systems like LiH with respect to full configuration interaction (FCI). Targeting on CO2 capture application, our second example is to use VQE to quantify molecular vibrational energies and reaction pathways between CO2 and a simplified amine-based solvent model—NH3 to form H2NCOOH. This research showcases quantum computing applications in the study of CO2 capture reactions.

Duan, Yuhua↗
DOE OSTI2020

Microalgae Biomass Production for Utilization of CO2 and Mitigation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Microalgal cultivation processes for production of foods, feeds, fuels, fertilizers and other bioproducts and wastewater treatment are being considered for reducing CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions. Major differences between microalgae and higher plant biomass cultivation are include their potential for much higher productivities, their higher content of major (N-P-K) and minor nutrients, and the challenge of harvesting such microscopic plants. Most critical, microalgal mass cultures, unlike higher plants, currently require fertilization with concentrated sources of CO2. As practically all of the C fixed into algal biomass will be re-emitted into the atmosphere in short order, algae processes do not sequester carbon. Their potential for CO2 emissions reductions must thus be based on comparisons with current technologies for the production of competing products, such as biofuels or animal feeds, or in wastewater treatment. Further, due to economic limitations to flue gas transport (3 to 12 % CO2), as well as highly variable diurnal and seasonal CO2 utilization and limited land and water availability near most CO2 sources, only a small fraction of waste CO2 emissions will be directly utilizeable for microalgae biomass production. However, for long-distance transport, flue gas CO2 capture by chemical processes would greatly increase the costs of flue gas utilization. More concentrated, sources of CO2 from refineries, fertilizer, chemical plants, and fermentations are available, but are also very limited relative to the quantities required for commodity production. Microalgae can also be cultivated on organic wastes, which provide both nutrients (N, P, K, etc.) and organic and inorganic carbon for algal growth, reducing greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional treatment processes. To maximize the potential for algae biomass production and CO2 utilization, direct capture of CO2 from air will be required. This could be accomplished with the algal cultivation process itself in large open-raceway ponds, through chemical and biological enhancements of CO2 transfer into algal cutures. The relative productivities, economics, greenhouse gas balances, and resource potentials of these alternative CO2 sources for large-scale production of microalgae will be reviewed.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Propylamine Functionalized Porous Fiber Sorbents with High Oxidation Stability for Direct Air Capture

Amine-based sorbents are highly effective for direct air capture (DAC) due to their excellent CO2 capture efficiency under ultra-dilute conditions. However, these sorbents can suffer degradation when exposed to combinations of heat, oxygen, and other atmospheric components, indicating a need for improved sorbent stability. In this study, we developed amidoxime functionalized polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-1-AO) fibers with tethered amines, specifically tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (TAEA) and tris(3-aminopropyl)amine (TAPA), denoted as PIM-1-AO-TAEA and PIM-1-AO-TAPA, respectively. In addition, large scale sorbent fiber spinning has been successfully performed by producing meters of fibers in the lab. We demonstrated that substituting TAEA with TAPA, which has propyl chains instead of ethyl chains, reduces oxidative degradation under regeneration conditions. The findings revealed that PIM-1-AO-TAPA not only significantly outperforms PIM-1-AO-TAEA after accelerated aging process, but also outperforms any other sorbent used in DAC aged under similar conditions. Moreover, PIM-1-AO-TAPA sorbent fibers showed one of the highest amine efficiencies (0.25) considering the low amine loading (21%) coupled with robust CO2 uptake performance (1.12 mmol/g) under DAC conditions.

amine-based sorbent↗
NASA NTRS2019

Evaluation of Ionic Liquids for Closed Air Revitalization

This document is the final report resulting from the work conducted by undergraduate students at the University of South Alabama during the 2018/2019 academic year and was prepared by the undergraduate students. As NASA pushes the boundaries further into space, the current technologies within the various life support systems must be improved upon. One such improvement is needed to the current air revitalization systems, specifically sorbents that can capture CO2 more effectively from enclosed habitats. Ionic liquids (ILs) have been considered as absorbents for flue gas, but little research has been done to test the ability of ILs at ambient pressures and relatively low concentration of CO2. The experiment outlined below utilizes the task-specific ionic liquid, tetramethylammonium taurinate (TMN), in a commercial off the shelf absorption system to capture CO2. The CO2 stream is combined with nitrogen to produce an inlet gas concentration relevant to close air revitalization applications. At an inlet gas flow with a CO2 partial pressure of 3.8 torr the system was capable of removing just under 97% of the inlet CO2. The concentration of CO2 in the outlet stream, partial pressure 0.16 torr, was less than that of atmospheric air. The duty required to separate the absorbed gas from the ionic liquid as well to cool the ionic liquid to be reintroduced to the column were acquired utilizing laboratory cooling/heating baths. These results show that TMN may be an efficient candidate for consideration in closed air revitalization.

Duck, Gerald↗
DOE OSTI2022

Isotherm Modeling and Techno-Economic Analysis of Contactor Technologies for New Tetraamine-Appended MOF for NGCC Applications

Recently, a family of tetraamine-functionalized metal-organic frameworks (MOF) has been reported as promising sorbent materials for capturing CO2 from flue gas conditions relevant to natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) applications. The main advantages of these materials are their two-step cooperative CO2 adsorption, which gives rise to unusual two step-shaped CO2 adsorption profiles and their high thermal stability. This work presents the modelling of the two-transition isotherm of the tetraamine-appended MOF, N,N'-bis(3-aminopropyl)-1,4-diaminobutane (3-4-3)-appended Mg2(dobpdc), and the techno-economic analysis (TEA) of carbon capture processes utilizing this sorbent. Due to the unusual isotherm shapes of the experimental CO2 adsorption data for tetraamine-appended Mg2(dobpdc) and the strong nonlinearity of CO2 loading with respect to temperature and pressure, we tested two different models which use logistic functions for representing the different isotherm behaviors in the different pressure ranges. The first model uses the quadratic isotherm model in the low-pressure region, the Langmuir isotherm model in the middle pressure range, and the dual site Langmuir isotherm model in the high-pressure range. To model the transition between regions we used the arctangent functions independent of temperature and the thermal effect was accounted by using the Clausius-Clapeyron relation]. The second model is an extension of the weighted dual-site Langmuir isotherm model presented by Hughes et al.. In this extended model, the dual-site Langmuir isotherm is employed in the three transition regions, using temperature-dependent logistic functions to activate or deactivate the isotherm model in the low, middle, and high-pressure ranges. Both models fit the experimental data quite well with root mean squared errors (RMSE’s) of 0.41 and 0.17 for model 1 and model 2, respectively. Since model 2 resulted in a lower RMSE, it was leveraged for the development of the gas/solid contactor models used by the TEA. Specifically, two different contactor models, an axial-flow fixed bed and moving bed contactor, were developed as part of this work. These models are dynamic, pressure-driven, and consist of mass, energy, and momentum conservation equations. A kinetic model was also developed by performing parameter estimation using experimental fixed bed breakthrough data. These models are then used to simulate CO2 capture processes from the flue gas generated from a ~600 gross MW NGCC power plant. A cost model was developed which considers the capital cost of the reactors and the significant operating costs such as steam and electricity. Using NETL’s Framework for the Optimization and Quantification of Uncertainty of Uncertainty and Surrogates tool (FOQUS), which has the capability of linking models built using numerous modelling platforms with derivative-free optimization solvers, a techno-economic optimization of the carbon capture processes was performed which minimizes the cost of capture.

Caballero, Daison↗
DOE OSTI2020

Hybrid Absorption–Crystallization Strategies for the Direct Air Capture of CO2 Using Phase-Changing Guanidium Bases: Insights from in Operando X-ray Scattering and Infrared Spectroscopy Measurements

Efforts to limit rising concentrations of CO 2 have motivated the development of negative emission technologies. Direct air capture (DAC) of CO 2 is one of the negative emissions technologies that has been proposed for the direct removal of CO 2 from the atmosphere. Phase-changing bis(iminonoguanidine) (BIG) sorbents have been developed for the direct air capture of CO 2 . These phase changing sorbents, specifically glyoxal-bis(iminoguanidine) (GBIG), involve (1) CO 2 absorption with aqueous amino acid salts, such as K- or Na-glycinate to yield bicarbonate-rich solutions, (2) crystallization of the bicarbonate anions with a BIG solid, which regenerates the amino acid, and (3) solid-state CO 2 release from the carbonate crystals and BIG regeneration. Despite the promising potential of these materials, their structural evolution during the thermal regeneration of the BIG solids, chemical regeneration of the sodium or potassium glycinate solvents, and the crystallization behavior of CO 2 -loaded BIG bicarbonate remain to be evaluated and understood in detail. The aim of this study is to probe these knowledge gaps. In situ wide-angle X-ray Scattering (WAXS) results show that CO 2 and water molecules in GBIG bicarbonate are simultaneously released in a single step during the thermal regeneration of the sorbent at 97 – 134 °C. In situ ATR-FTIR measurements showed that sodium glycinate and GBIG bicarbonate are simultaneously generated when GBIG, glycine, and sodium bicarbonate are reacted. The crystallization of GBIG bicarbonate from GBIG and CO 2 -loaded monoethanolamine (MEA) occurs rapidly in the first 10 min of the reaction, as determined using in situ GI-SAXS measurements. Overall, the insights from these studies are essential for the scalable implementation of CO 2 capture technologies using these phase-changing sorbents.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Exploring the Feasibility of a Carbon Dioxide Storage Hub in Western North Dakota

The University of North Dakota Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) and project partner ONEOK, Inc. (ONEOK) are investigating the feasibility of establishing a CO2 (carbon dioxide) storage hub in western North Dakota—in the heart of the Williston Basin. The conceived Roughrider Carbon Storage Hub would store CO2 captured from six gas-processing plants owned and operated by project partner ONEOK and a planned gas-to-liquids plant. This 2-year U.S. Department of Energy-sponsored Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE) Phase II feasibility study is evaluating the aggregation of the CO2 captured from these seven sources for injection into stacked geologic storage complexes. The proposed hub includes several aspects that make it a highly qualified candidate for a feasibility study with a notably reduced project risk profile. These include 1) a project partner (ONEOK) with a committed goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; 2) prior subsurface data analysis supporting a potential stacked storage configuration with adequate CO2 storage resource; 3) commitment from local, regional, and state-level stakeholders; and 4) a state with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency underground injection control Class VI primacy. ONEOK’s assets in the Williston Basin provide significant environmental benefits by capturing and processing natural gas that may otherwise be flared or vented. Storing CO2 from these gas-processing facilities will reduce overall CO2 emissions in the basin while providing essential services to producers there and contributing to continued energy independence in the domestic markets.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Power Optimization of Cryogenic CO2 Deposition Capture in Deep Space

An extremely reliable cabin air revitalization system is needed for human deep space exploration missions. Deep space offers an environmental temperature close to 4 Kelvin. This low environmental temperature enables heat rejection for systems that are thermally power-intensive, i.e. CO2 cold surface deposition (CDep). The CDep system relies on phase change temperatures of air components to deposit CO2 onto a cold surface. The cold surface can be generated utilizing cryocoolers, including Stirling and Reverse Brayton, or deep space environmental temperature. This paper presents a numerical study on a power optimization of cold surface generation via a cryocooler or thermal radiator. An example system for each type is presented. However, a hybrid system would not only reduce power required to remove CO2, but also increase redundancy and reliability of the air revitalization system.

Pranav Jagtap↗
DOE OSTI2025

CO2 Streams Captured From Industrial Processes and Corrosion of Steel Pipelines

Based on the knowledge accumulated in the last decade related to Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) processes and the identified gaps in knowledge, our study identifies and quantifies the key issues that impact the corrosion of materials, specifically relating to the integrity of structures for the CO2 transport pipelines and provides a better understanding of the materials’ compatibility with CO2 steams with impurities. This will help to understand the corrosion risks associated with CO2 transport and injection and leverage existing infrastructure or rebuild new pipeline networks to transport CO2 with impurities for EOR or geological storage.

CO2 corrosion↗
DOE OSTI2025

Systems Analysis of Biomass and Coal Co-firing Power Plants with Deep Carbon Capture Toward Net-zero Emissions

Achieving a net-zero emission economy in the United States requires integrating diverse low-carbon and negative-emission technologies into the existing fossil fuel-dominant power fleet. Potential technologies from the low-carbon portfolio include renewable power, fossil power with carbon capture and storage (CCS), bioenergy with CCS (BECCS), and direct air capture (DAC). Renewable power is a clean energy source but has to pair with costly battery storage to provide dispatchable electricity. Fossil power with CCS offers dispatchable electricity yet still relies on DAC to offset residual emissions, even when deploying deep CCS with more than 90% CO2 capture. Coal-biomass co-firing with CCS, a subset of BECCS, is a reliable energy production technology that can be retrofitted from existing electricity generation units (EGUs). Power plant retrofit maximizes the use of the current U.S. coal power fleet without the need for large-scale deployment of new renewable power, battery storage, or DAC. Retrofitting coal-biomass co-firing with deep CCS in EGUs is a promising option, but not a universal solution. Biomass co-firing at a power plant introduces economic challenges and indirectly poses pressure on land and water resources. Meanwhile, retrofitting deep CCS affects plant efficiency and raises electricity generation costs. Overall, the technical feasibility and economic viability of plant retrofits vary across EGUs, as they are contingent upon the regional availability of biomass, unit-specific characteristics, site-specific fuel supply costs, and adjacent CO2 storage potential. Government incentives like 45Q can improve the retrofit viability, though the impact requires further quantification. A comprehensive analysis at the unit level is essential to address the question regarding the fate of the U.S. coal-fired electricity generation fleet toward the net-zero emission goal. This study conducts a systematic techno-economic-environmental assessment of EGUs to identify the viability of biomass co-firing and deep CCS retrofits in the U.S. coal-fired power fleet. Specifically, it characterizes the techno-economic performance of deep carbon capture, estimates life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and conducts a fleet-level assessment on retrofit viability. The key objectives are (1) to estimate the unit-specific performance and retrofitted cost under various biomass co-firing levels and CO2 capture rates; (2) to determine the possibility of reaching net-zero emission at the fleet level; (3) to quantify the cumulative capacities that are suitable for plant retrofits under current and future biomass supply scenarios; and (4) to improve the understanding of policy impacts on such retrofits to help the power sector’s transition to a net-zero economy. Techno-economic Model of Deep Carbon Capture. This study develops the performance and economic models for Monoethanolamine-based post-combustion CO2 capture at 95–99% capture rates. The process is simulated in Aspen Plus, analyzing the performance of carbon capture technology by varying the plant sizes, solvent lean loading, CO2 concentrations, and flue gas inlet temperature. Based on the key inputs and output parameters of CO2 capture, a reduced-order performance model of deep carbon capture is formulated. In addition, an engineering-economic model integrating the performance metrics is developed to estimate the capital as well as operation and maintenance (O&M) costs. Capital cost estimations follow the framework of the Integrated Environmental Control Model (IECM) and incorporate data regressions from three technical reports by IECM, the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The O&M cost estimation utilizes the actual inventory consumption rate and labor requirements. Both performance and cost models are embedded into IECM v13.0-beta, a fossil-fuel power plant modeling tool. Life Cycle Assessment of Power Plants. This study estimates the GHG emissions of power plants through life cycle assessment (LCA). The LCA scope includes fuel supply, combustion-based power generation, and CO2 transport and storage. The fuel-based life cycle module is designed following the framework of the NETL Unit Process Library and CO2U LCA Guidance Toolkit. The module is then incorporated into IECM v13.0-beta. The process-based LCA is applied to estimate the GHG emissions of coal and biomass supply, coal- and coal-biomass co-firing power plant operation, as well as CO2 pipeline transport and geographical sequestration. An uncertainty analysis is conducted to quantify the variability and uncertainty associated with the LCA using the Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) method. Fleet-level Assessment. This study evaluates the technical and economic feasibility of selected coal-fired EGUs, examines the role of tax credits in retrofit viability, and assesses the competitiveness of retrofitted units against other low-carbon options. Unit screening identifies EGUs for the study, focusing on new, efficient baseload units with air pollution controls. The power plant databases are then established to organize unit-specific information on performance and operating conditions from the relevant public databases. Biomass for co-firing retrofits is selected based on home and neighboring county availability, ensuring sustained operation with at least a 5% co-firing level. The CO2 storage site is determined by state-level storage potential, with ArcGIS Pro and NETL CO2 Saline Storage Cost Model used to identify the optimal balance between the nearest transport distances and affordable storage costs. The latest IECM v13.0-beta is then employed to configure and evaluate the eligible EGUs with or without the deployment of deep CCS and biomass co-firing. A supply curve is established to illustrate the cumulative installed capacity suitable for retrofits at different cost levels. A sensitivity analysis on tax credits for carbon sequestration is performed. Finally, a unit-level cost comparison is conducted among retrofitted plants, renewable power with battery storage, and abated fossil fuels with DAC. Expected Results. This study evaluates the technical, economic, and environmental metrics of each EGU across an array of CO2 capture rates and biomass co-firing level scenarios. Unit-level comparisons will identify critical factors influencing technical performance. The supply curves with and without tax incentives will provide insights into the impact of tax credits on biomass co-firing and CCS deployment. The cost comparisons with renewables and DAC-retrofit will assess the competitiveness of the retrofitted units. Life cycle emissions from each unit will be assessed to identify the scenarios under which net-zero emissions can be achieved. These analyses are expected to determine the total coal-fired capacity suitable for serving as a low-carbon energy source with or without tax incentives. The study results are novel in identifying optimal unit-specific strategies for producing carbon-neutral power, whether through retrofitting EGUs with deep CCS, biomass co-firing, DAC, or installing renewable power with battery. The findings will provide insight into nationwide efforts to ensure reliable, affordable, and low-carbon electricity. It also will inform investment decisions and policies in the deployment of deep carbon capture and negative emission technologies for a net-zero energy future.

Biomass Co-firing↗
NASA NTRS2000

Continuous Processing With Mars Gases

Current Martian missions call for the production of oxygen for breathing, and fuel and oxygen for propulsion to be produced from atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). Adsorption and freezing are the two methods considered for capturing CO2 from the atmosphere. However, the nitrogen (N2) and argon (Ar), which make up less than 5 percent of the atmosphere, cause difficulties with both of these processes by blocking the CO2. This results in the capture process rapidly changing from a pressure driven process to a diffusion controlled process. To increase the CO2 capture rates, some type of mechanical pump is usually proposed to remove the N2 and Ar. The N2 and Ar are useful and have been proposed for blanketing and pressurizing fuel tanks and as buffer gas for breathing air for manned missions. Separation of the Martian gases with the required purity can be accomplished with a combination of membranes. These membrane systems do not require a high feed pressure and provide suitable separation. Therefore, by use of the appropriate membrane combination with the Martian atmosphere supplied by a compressor a continuous Supply Of CO2 for fuel and oxygen production can be supplied. This phase of our program has focused on the selection of the membrane system. Since permeation data for membranes did not exist for Martian atmospheric pressures and temperatures, this information had to be compiled. The general trend as the temperature was lowered was for the membranes to become more selective. In addition, the relative permeation rates between the three gases changed with temperature. The end result was to provide design parameters that could be used to separate CO2 from N2 and Ar. This paper will present the membrane data, provide the design requirements for a compressor, and compare the results with adsorption and freezer methods.

Parrish, Clyde↗
DOE OSTI2024

Off-Design Load Analysis of sCO2 Bottoming Cycle for a Natural Gas Combined Cycle Power Plant with Carbon Capture

As an alternative to a steam cycle, a supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power cycle can be considered. Able et. al performed an analysis of an sCO2 cycle in a 2x2-1 configuration; however, this study did not include carbon capture. Previous studies assumed an H-Frame turbine and added a solvent based 95% carbon capture system and performed a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) optimization for the plant. Their results suggest a LCOE slightly better than when using a steam cycle. In the study, steam is still generated in the heat recovery sections for the solvent regeneration in the carbon capture stripper reboiler. H-Frame gas turbines are also assumed. This work starts with the optimal design from the mentioned work to analyze the off-design performance of the power plant from 100% down to 50% load. The main operational findings and plant-efficiency for off-load conditions while maintaining the target CO2 capture rate are presented. H-Frame gas turbine off-design performance and exhaust conditions to the heat recovery section are obtained from commercial software, Thermoflow®. The CO2 turbomachinery, heat exchangers and other unit operations are sized and implemented in an Aspen Plus® model. Using the gas turbine exhaust conditions as input, the sCO2 cycle is optimized by adjusting stream split ratios, sCO2 circulation flowrate and compressor speed for maximum efficiency. This is done while keeping the target 95% CO2 capture.

Chinen, Anderson Soares↗
DOE OSTI2024

SUBTASK 1.6 – BASIN ELECTRIC CARBON STORAGE RESEARCH PROJECT: NOVEL MONITORING TECHNIQUES

The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) conducted baseline activities associated with an applied research project at Basin Electric Power Cooperative’s (Basin’s) carbon capture and storage (CCS) site in Beulah, North Dakota, to establish novel carbon storage-monitoring techniques as commercial methods under Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FE0024233, Subtask 1.6. The following report summarizes the baseline activities performed and briefly describes the subsequent (operational monitoring) activities that have been proposed to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as part of the overall project to develop and demonstrate novel monitoring techniques at North America’s largest permitted CCS operation. Dakota Gasification Company (DGC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Basin, owns and operates the Great Plains Synfuels Plant (GPSP) approximately 5 miles northwest of the town of Beulah, North Dakota (Figure 1). In 2023, DGC received approval from the North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC) to develop a storage facility on-site for injecting a stream of carbon dioxide (CO2) captured from GPSP. DGC will transport the captured CO2 stream with approximately 6.8 miles of transmission lines that extend north of GPSP and inject >1 million tonnes (MMt) of CO2 annually (>1 MMt/yr) over a 12-year period with up to six underground injection control (UIC) Class VI-compliant injection wells completed in the Broom Creek Formation, a predominantly sandstone reservoir and saline aquifer underlying GPSP. The Broom Creek Formation lies approximately 5900 feet (ft) below ground surface (bgs) at GPSP. The commercial scale (i.e., >1 MMt/yr) of DGC’s permitted carbon storage project is ideal for developing and testing the novel monitoring techniques included within Subtask 1.6. The goals of this project are to demonstrate 1) the cost-effectiveness of novel monitoring technologies included as part of this research, 2) technology capability for tracking the CO2 plume and/or associated pressure response in the subsurface and monitoring out-of-zone migration, and 3) compliance with UIC Class VI program requirements. The research activities proposed for the overall project include 1) design of an automated, integrated, modular (AIM) monitoring station; 2) time-lapse electromagnetic (EM) field surveys; 3) drone-based surveillance studies; 4) time-lapse monitoring with seismic methods; 5) advanced wellbore-monitoring methods; 6) deployment of an AIM monitoring network; 7) EM monitoring of CO2 with real-time data processing; 8) continued seasonal drone-based surveillance studies; 9) seismic monitoring with passive and active surveys; and 10) wellbore monitoring with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for near-surface characterization. Completion of Activities 1.0–5.0 (baseline activities) are described in this report. Upon authorization of funding by DOE, the EERC will initiate Activities 6.0– 10.0 (operational monitoring activities). Current state-of-the-art (SOA) carbon storage-monitoring techniques require countless labor hours dedicated to the acquisition of data. Once data are gathered, these SOA techniques often rely on commercial facilities to process raw data from the field. However, it is anticipated that next-generation monitoring techniques, such as those being demonstrated, will lower acquisition footprints, be less operationally intensive, and improve data acquisition efficiencies. These new techniques are more conducive to the application of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and automation, thus providing a pathway for integration into active control systems, informing site operability, and improving the integration of data for future CCS projects across the United States. Additionally, reclaimed and active mining lands are present within the project site, creating a unique opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of remote sensing and surface-based geophysics monitoring techniques at similar project sites that may include disturbed, unconsolidated, or actively excavated near-surface environments. The efforts included in the overall project will produce necessary designs, learnings, and data acquired during the baseline and operational monitoring periods that are necessary for time-lapse demonstration and validation of the described monitoring techniques. In addition, it is anticipated that the monitoring technologies included in this study will be compliant with UIC Class VI requirements to enable the potential for implementation at other CCS sites across the United States.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Computational Tools and Workflows for Quantitative Risk Assessment and Decision Support for Geologic Carbon Storage Sites: Progress and Insights from the U.S. DOE’s National Risk Assessment Partnership

The 2005 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on CCS raised the profile of CO2 capture and storage (CCS) as an important technology for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. CCS is now recognized as a key component of most climate change mitigation scenarios. Since publication of that report the international research, development, and deployment (RD&D) community has advanced key technical aspects, clarified regulatory requirements, explored value chain and infrastructure solutions, and developed incentive paradigms to enable and promote large-scale deployment of CCS. These efforts have included research to better characterize geologic storage resources, to improve injection performance and storage efficiency, to assess and manage subsurface environmental risks, and to advance monitoring technologies to assure system conformance. These efforts have helped to build confidence in the viability of geologic carbon storage (GCS), but stakeholder concerns about long-term risks and liability associated with GCS remain a hurdle to broad acceptance and large-scale deployment of CCS. Since 2010, the U.S. DOE’s National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP) – a research collaboration between five contributing national laboratories – has worked to establish and demonstrate methods and tools to quantify and manage the subsurface environmental risks associated with GCS, amidst uncertainty. This work supports the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management Carbon Transport and Storage Program’s goal of advancing safe and secure commercial-scale GCS deployment. To address the technical challenge of simulating the physical response of the GCS site to large-scale CO2 injection, NRAP has adopted an approach that relies on coupling computationally efficient reduced-order and/or data-driven proxy models of important system components (i.e., storage reservoir, sealing caprock, leakage pathways, intermediate formations, overlying groundwater aquifers, and the atmosphere) in integrated assessment framework. That integrated model of the physical system is complemented with fit-for purpose functionality to support site characterization and risk-related decisions. The recently released NRAP Phase II toolset includes the Open-Source Integrated Assessment Model (NRAP-Open-IAM) for evaluation of trends in leakage risk and potential impact, tools to support monitoring design optimization (Designs for Risk Evaluation and Management – DREAM v3.0 and Passive Seismic Monitoring Tool - PSMT), and tools for state of stress evaluation (State-of-Stress Analysis Tool - SOSAT) and forecasting induced seismicity risk. The NRAP team has also released a pair of reports describing conceptual workflows to incorporate physics-based, quantitative risk assessment into many of the design, planning, operation, and closure decisions for GCS projects. An online catalogue highlights published studies where these tools and methods are demonstrated. In this presentation, the utility of these products to assess risks and address key stakeholder questions will be highlighted through examples, and related insights about the safety and security of geologic carbon storage in qualified storage sites will be discussed. The prospect of rapid, large-scale deployment of GCS technology to aggressively reduce anthropogenic CO2 emissions requires careful consideration of interference between multiple commercial-scale storage projects within a basin. Going forward, NRAP is expanding and adapting site-scale risk quantification tools and methods to enable assessment of risks and inform management decisions for basin-scale deployment. Increasingly, this work will leverage next-generation approaches for surrogate modelling, fast prediction, and advanced visualization enabled by machine learning and artificial intelligence to promote virtual learning, scenario evaluation, and augment risk-based decision making.

quantitative risk assessment, geologic carbon stor↗